Marie Curie was a physicist and chemist who coined the term "radioactivity" and whose research into radioactive decay made her the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. The physics Nobel was followed by one in chemistry for the discovery of the elements polonium and radium.
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Overcoming social and academic barriers, Curie's realization that radiation resulted from an intrinsic property of atoms reframed scientific understanding of the phenomenon. Her subsequent work in discovering two new elements—polonium and radium—earned her a second Nobel Prize.
Restrictions from the Russian Empire on women's education drove Polish academics to set up illegal meetings where classes could operate in secret. Lecture locations constantly changed, keeping the university secret from Russian authorities for two decades.
Despite lacking proper laboratory conditions, Marie and Pierre built an ionization chamber and a piezoelectric quartz electrometer to measure the amount of charged particles released via radiation to a sensitivity of ten-trillionth of an ampere. Substances with different emission rates indicated different elements.
Jacques and Pierre Curie discovered the piezoelectric effect in 1880. Pierre incorporated it into an apparatus used by Marie Curie to discover polonium and radium. This phenomenon is seen in barbecue lighter ignition mechanisms, where quartz is struck to create a spark that ignites fuel.
The “petites Curies” allowed medical professionals to identify the severity of wounds without transporting soldiers to medical facilities, expediting treatment and saving lives. The efforts of Curie and other women led to expansions in their rights after the war.
Alongside his brother, he studied electric fields in crystals and the magnetic properties of substances, which required the construction of delicate electrometers. He would use this apparatus with Marie Curie to measure radioactive emissions and the presence of undiscovered radioactive elements.
Their discoveries of polonium and radium involved ongoing exposure to radioactive materials before shielding technology was developed. Their notebooks, furniture, and other belongings remain radioactive today, requiring researchers to sign a waiver and wear protective clothing to access.
Marie Curie's awards in physics and chemistry and Linus Pauling's in chemistry and peace are the only pairs in different fields. Awards to Curie's daughter and sons-in-law have made the Curies the most awarded family in history.
Curie's upbringing in a family that lost its fortune when participating in failed uprisings for Polish independence instilled frugality in her. Much of the clothing she purchased, including for special occasions like her wedding, was repurposed for lab use.
Political instability and foreign interference weakened the Commonwealth, which was eventually divided between Prussia, Austria, and Russia. Poland would not be re-established until after World War I and decades of imperial oppression.
Since our ancient human relatives began using stone tools to perform tasks, humans have harnessed scientific knowledge and new technologies to expand the boundaries of our understanding of the natural world. From quantum computing and microplastics to artificial intelligence and memory, explore these topics and more with our concise yet informative overviews and expert-curated resources.